Monday, August 29, 2011

Head of College's message

The first few weeks of term have been a whirlwind of activity for students and faculty alike! With 114 new students on campus we have recorded a record total of 223. With journeys to campus which began all over the world, this is a true “United Nations” of culture, background, nationality and creed – a dynamic mix which lay at the heart of Kurt Hahn’s founding vision for UWC back in 1962.

Despite an endless torrent of new information to absorb, new experiences and an intense pace to daily life, it has been good to see happy and relaxed faces around campus and every sign of newcomers settling in. Torrential rain has brought its own challenges to the start of a new year, but energy is high as the excitement of this remarkable UWC opportunity gains momentum!

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (author of The Little Prince) reminded us that “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Behind the everyday scenes of busy lives and frantic schedules is a far more significant process of challenge and transformation.

We prepare young people for exams and we equip them to earn a living - we do all these things with rigor, nurturing the academic potential and high achievement of each individual. Yet, the education we offer is designed to go far beyond these goals, to develop the whole person and not just a part, to help each individual to become, in the words of our mission statement, ”agents of change” in the world.

I hope this latest edition of the newsletter will give you a sense of the energy and enthusiasm which make this such a unique place – indeed, a remarkable place, where some of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “essentials” become apparent!